Christmas with a Latin Flavor

Here we are again: another major holiday that will bring more leftovers than you know what to do with. At Thanksgiving, I usually go the African-American/Jamaican route (combo of my dad and hubby) foodwise, but at Christmas, since my mom was Puerto Rican, my menu is Latin all the way! My mom, Provi, was the ultimate cook—she could boil water and make it taste divine. My brother Bennie and I are culinary chips off the ol' block, we can definitely jam in the kitchen! Both he and I swear we could win a roast pork shoulder cook-off—just name the place and time!

Typically around the holidays, no Hispanic household is complete without the aroma of a pernil (pork shoulder) roasting in the oven. Once that sucker is done and the skin is all hard and crackly, there's practically a fight to the finish among family members to get crunching on that savory skin. Another must-have dish is arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), with pieces of pork. Believe it or not, the best part of this rice dish is the con con—the part that sticks to the bottom of the pot—heaven sent!

Pasteles are also a must: They're prepared with a dough of grated green bananas and plantains stuffed with meat. Then to wash it all down (and I swear, Bennie could market his recipe and become a zillionaire), coquito—a kind of strong eggnog with rum and coconut milk. Ahhh. Christmas, Latin style, is all about food and the strongest of ties that bind, love of family. Feliz Navidad!

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